After introducing the fullsize Range Rover last year with a BMW engine, Land Rover is borrowing the N63 once again for the more dynamic Range Rover Sport. The third-generation model unveiled today, therefore, ditches the in-house 5.0-liter V8 in favor of a 4.4-liter V8. Why the change? Because the twin-turbo engine is 17% more efficient than the old supercharged mill.

As seen in the M550i, M850i as well as the M50i versions of the X5, X6, and X7 SUVs, the N63 is good for 523 horsepower and 750 Newton-meters (551 pound-feet) of torque. The new Range Rover Sport with a BMW heart will do 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in only four and a half seconds to match the old SVR version. It will serve as the temporary range-topping version of the SUV and is going to be identifiable by its “P530” moniker.

The BMW-sourced engine brings another major benefit aside from efficiency as it boosts torque by 20%. Land Rover says the V8 uses ceramic bearings for the twin-scroll turbochargers to enable a near-instant response to virtually cancel the dreaded turbo lag. All that power is channeled to both axles via an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF that has been re-engineered for the new application. The British marque goes as far as to say “hundreds of potential shift sequences have been optimized” for the latest Range Rover Sport.

Positioned below the P530 will be the P400 and P360 equipped with Land Rover’s own 3.0-liter straight-six Ingenium gasoline engines making. These will deliver nearly 400 and 360 horsepower, respectively, with corresponding peak torque of 550 Nm (404 lb-ft) and 500 Nm (367 lb-ft).

On the diesel side, a straight-six 3.0-liter oil-burner will be offered in the D250, D300, and D350. These will have almost 250, 300, and 350 horsepower along with 600, 650, and 700 Nm (441, 478, and 515 lb-ft) of torque, respectively.

Alternatively, the Range Rover Sport has been developed in P440e and P510e plug-in hybrid specifications. These have six-cylinder gasoline engines and an electric motor producing a combined output of 620 Nm (456 lb-ft) and 700 Nm (515 lb-ft). Up to 70 miles (113 kilometers) of purely electric range are being touted, which is decent for such a large and heavy vehicle.

Beyond the powertrains, it’s worth mentioning the SUV has switched to a new MLA-Flex platform with up to 35% higher torsional stiffness than its predecessor. While it may look more of the same due to its evolutionary styling, the RR Sport has been developed from the ground up and has a lower drag coefficient of 0.29. It comes with high-end goodies including air suspension, all-wheel steering, and adaptive off-road cruise control.

Land Rover USA is already accepting orders and is asking $83,000 for the base P360 SE while the flagship P530 First Edition with the BMW V8 will set you back $121,500.

Source: Land Rover